A
native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Ali Larter began modelling
at the age of 13 and moved to Los Angeles to study acting.
Her first professional acting job was a role on the television
series Chicago Sons (1997). She made her movie debut
in Varsity Blues (1999) which led her into memorable
roles in Legally Blonde (2001) and the first two Final
Destination movies. She also played a fast-food-eating
jewel thief in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike
Back (2001). Larter has recently
completed work on the movie Resident Evil: Extinction
in which she plays Claire Redfield. She
currently stars in NBC's Heroes
as Niki Sanders, a single mother who
struggles to support her gifted young son's private school
education and whose mirror image has a secret. Review Graveyard caught up with Larter as Heroes was about to
start broadcasting on the Sci-Fi Channel...

ReviewGraveyard: What were your first thoughts on your character when
you first read the script?

Ali
Larter: When
I read the pilot I didn't actually know what direction it
was going other than the fact that you've got a really complicated
woman who's just trying to get by. She's trying to be a great
mother to her son and her world's really crumbling around
her. So, it wasn't about what kind of power she was getting,
it was just about her dealing with her life and wondering
if she's going crazy and what's happening to her.

Where
we're leading to is that there's going to be duality within
my personality. So there's one side that has to conform to
society's roles and laws and the shadow side that can actually
live out the dark fantasies that, you know, are repressed
within all of us. But
we're going to get a little romance, we'll get a little bit
of cheekiness in it and the amazing thing about this writing
is that it really pushes me.

RG:
You have a son in the show, how did you find it playing a
mother?

AL:
Noah's [Noah Gray-Cabey who plays Micah Sanders] incredible.
He makes my job easy. Watching
his relationship with his mother has been a huge inspiration
for me. She's so open and so giving, we discussed the scenes
before and hang out whenever we have a chance. They
have an incredible connection. Noah and I use as much as we
can from that to inspire us within our roles.

I
think that as a woman, there's a side in all of us that really
has this desire and this need to protect a child. Watching
my nephews there's definitely that side within me that would
do anything to protect them. So I guess I understand that.

I've
just been around kids my whole life. So it really hasn't been
a struggle for me at all. It's been a natural transition and
I just think it's a really interesting unique relationship.

RG:
Your character has an inherent sexuality, do you think it
is important to stay in shape? How uncomfortable are the more
risqué scenes?

AL:
I think that I'm really actually lucky to play a very sexy,
racy character. She's provocative and really fun, and part
of the job is just keeping in shape for it.

I'm
a runner, and for me, it's not just the physicality of it,
it's an emotional release for me. It keeps me sane in a way.
It's getting out there and just running as fast as I can.

Those
scenes are always very embarrassing. I think any actor will
tell you that. On the other side of it, sometimes you have
just got to throw your hands up in the air and go with it
and have fun. You make light of it and you make jokes on set.

It's
a fun character and what's great about her is that she does
have these sexy scenes. But on the other side you see her
dealing with her son. What's
amazing about this writing is that it found an incredible
balance to show how multifaceted a character she is.

RG:
What has the response been from the actors to the huge success
the show has already had?

AL:
I think it's incredible. I think that, as actors, we just
come in with great writing and everyone does the best they
can do. So when an audience responds, that's just the icing
on top of it.

We're also lucky to have some amazing directors. We're all
just thrilled that people are loving the show as much as we
love working on it.

RG:
Finally, if you had a super power, what would it be?

AL:
I would fly. I'd love to soar, I think that would the greatest
way to experience freedom, and I think that would be incredible.

RG:
Thank you for your time.

With
thanks to Julie Warmington at Holler

Heroes
will begin broadcasting on the Sci-Fi Channel
from February 2007.